Connector



May 21, 1940- B. D. MOINTYRE 2,201590 CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 17, 1938 50kt" Y Z Z @14W ATTORNEYS Patented May 21, 1940 CONNECTOR Brouwer D. McIntyre, Monroe, Mich., assigner to Monroe Auto Equipment Company, Monroe, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application Januaryy 17, 1938, Serial No. 185,472

3 Claims.

This invention relates to connectors of the type having a link and having a part provided with a portion substantially surrounded by a resilient material retained in the link under compression in such a manner that relative movement of the link and part is permitted by interparticle flow ofthe resilient material,

Itis one of the principal objects of this invention to provide a connector of the type set forth wherein the link and part are secured together through the resilient material' and wherein additional means is provided, to prevent accidental disengagement of the part from the link.

Another object of this invention consists in the provision of a connecting link having a portion formingy a housing containing a resilient bushing adapted toV receive a substantially flat head. on one end oi a stud by vinserting the stud head through an elongated opening in one side wall of the housing and rotating the head at an angle to the opening to effect a locking engagement of the stud withA the link.

A further advantageousfeature of this invention resides in the provision of a construction of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph embodying a removable pin extending transversely through the :dat head of the stud into the bushing material at opposite sides of the head and having a length greater than the long do axis of the elongated opening in the housing portion of the link tor prevent accidental disengagement of the stud from the link.

Still another feature of this invention consists in the provision of a connector wherein the '5 resilient bushing comprises a pair of sections centrally bored to receive the extremities of the retaining pin and to facilitate the iiow of resilient material around the iiat head when pressure is applied to the sections.

In addition to the foregoing, the present invention contemplates a bushing wherein the sections are providedwith annular skirts or flanges at the adjacent ends cooperating with eachother to receive the nat head on the stud.

The foregoing, as Well asother objects, will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is an elevational View, partly in section, of a connector constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 2-.2 of Figure 1;

necting parts carried by the sprung assemblyl i of the vehicle to parts carried by the unsprung assembly. y

It will be observed from the drawing that the connector Ill comprises a link Ii and studs I 2 having head portions I3V anchored in opposite ends of the link. The shank portions I4' of the studs are threaded for attachment to the parts it is desired to connect together by the link il.

In the present illustrative embodiment of the invention, the link I I is shown asbeing tubular in cross section and as having housings I5 at opposite ends thereof. One side wall of( each of the housings I5 is provided with an elongated opening I6 therethrough having the long axis extending parallel to the axis of the link. andcf a length slightly greater than the diameter. or dimension II of the substantially flat head I3 on the stud I2. The Width ofthe short axis of the elongated' opening I5 is less than the dimension I1' of the head' i3 with the result that thef head I3 must be inserted through the opening ISwith the dimension I'I extending vparallel to the long axis of the opening. After the stud head i3 is extended through the opening I6 into the housing I5, the same is rotated throughout substantiaily 90 to extend the dimension I1 in a direction parallel With the short axis of the elongated opening and,isince this short axis is of less length than the dimension Il', it necessarily follows that the stud is locked in the housing Iii.A

The head I3 of each stud is held in interlocking relationship with the housings ifV at opposite ends of the link IIV by means. of resilient bushings I 8' surrounding the heads I3 and secured under compression Within the housing. In the present instance, the bushings I8 are formed of molded rubber and each bushing comr tate the :flow of the resilient material around the head of the stud when pressure is exerted on the sections.

In order to insure surrounding the head I3 of the stud with the bushing material, the sections are provided with axially extending annular skirts or anges 22 on adjacent ends thereof cooperating with each other to form a circular recess 23 for receiving the substantially nat head I3 of the stud. The axial flanges 22 of each pair of sections are cut away at one side of the bushing to form an opening 24 for receiving the shank portion of the stud adjacent the head of the latter.

In order to avoid any possibility of accidental disengagement of the studs from the link I I, I provide each head I3 of the stud with a removable pin 25. 'I'he pin 25 extends through each stud head I3 transversely to the dimension I 1 and has a length greater than the long axis of the elongated opening I6 through the housing. The extremities of the pins 25 project equal distances from opposite sides of the stud heads and extend into the adjacent ends of the bores 2I through the sections of the bushings I8. Inasmuch as the lengths of the pins 25 are greater than the long axes of the elongated openings I6 through the housings I5 and, in view of the fact that the dimensions I I of the stud heads I3 are greater than the short axes of the openings I6, it follows that the studs are effectively locked in the housings I5. In assembling the connector, a disc 26 is inserted into each housing I5 through the outer end of the latter and is positioned against an annular shoulder 21 formed by contracting the link II at the inner end of each housing. The inner section I9 of each bushing is then inserted in the housings in abutting engagement with the discs 26. After the inner sections I9 of the bushings have been assembled in their respective housings, the stud heads It are inserted through the openings I6 in the housings with the dimension I'I of the heads extending parallel to the long axes of the openings IB and are then rotated throughout 90 so that the dimensions I'I of the stud heads extend at right angles to the long axes of the openings I6. In this nal position of the stud heads, the inner sides of the latter assume positions in the circular recesses formed by the axially extending iianges 22 on the inner sections I9 of the bushings. The pins 25 are then sleeved into the transverse bores formed in the stud heads I3 in such a manner that the inner ends of the pins project into the bores 2I formed in the inner sections I9 of the bushings. Upon completion of this operation, the outer sections 20 of the bushings are sleeved into the housings I5 with the anges 22 extending toward the corresponding flanges on the inner sections I9 and cooperating with the latter to provide resilient material around the stud heads. It will be understood that the outer ends of the pins 25 are received in the adjacent ends of the bores 2I in the sections 2G of the bushings when the latter are sleeved in the housings I5. A disc 30 is then engaged with the outer end of each bushing section 20 and pressure is applied to the discs to :force the same against the action of the bushing material into the outer ends of the housings I5. As a result, theV bushings are secured under compression against the stud heads and the extremities of the housings are swaged or spun over the peripheral edge portions of the outer discs 30 to secure the parts in assembled relationship.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the stud heads are effectively anchored in opposite ends of the links through the medium of rubber bushings and that relative movement of the studs and links is permitted by interparticle ilow of the bushing material. In this connection, the opposite side surfaces 3| of the stud heads may be transversely curved in order to facilitate relative movements between the studs and link.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In a connector, a member having a portion forming a housing provided with an opening through one side wall thereof, a Stud having a head extending into the housing through said opening, a resilient bushing comprising sections having the adjacent ends axially bored and secured in the housing under compression against opposite sides of the stud head, and a pin extending transversely through the stud head with the opposite ends extending into the axially bored portions of the sections and having a length greater than the maximum dimension of the opening.

2. In a connector, a member having a portion forming a housing provided with an opening in one wall, a stud having a head extending into i,

the housing through the opening, a resilient bushing comprising sections having the adjacent ends axially bored and secured in the housing under compression against opposite sides of the stud head, said sections also having substantially annular ilanges extending toward each other and cooperating to form a recess substantially enclosing the stud head, and a pin extending transversely through the stud head with the opposite ends projecting into the axially bored portions of the sections and having a length greater than the maximum dimension of said opening.

3. In a connector, a member having a portion forming a housing provided with an elongated opening through one wall thereof, a stud provided with an elongated head having a length less than the long axis of the opening but greater than the small axis of the opening, whereby insertion of the elongated head into the housing through the opening is permitted and whereby .said head is locked in the housing upon rotation of the stud to position the length of the head transversely of the long axis of the opening, a resilient bushing comprising sections having the adjacent ends axially bored and secured in the housing under compression against opposite sides of the stud head, and means projecting from opposite sides of the stud head into the axially bored portions of the sections and having a length greater than the long axis of the opening to lock the stud head in the housing.

BROUWER D. MCINTYRE. 

